High-functioning
(see also Functioning Labels) "High-functioning" is an outdated label previously (and sometimes currently) used to separate Disabled people, particularly autistic people, on the basis of their perceived ability to function in society. Some of the key issues with functioning labels are that it allows outsiders to feel as though there is a significant reality underlying theses boxes, that truly separates the lived experiences of the people involved. A common trend is for people labeled "low-functioning" to be robbed of their agency and have their abilities undervalued, while people who are label "high-functioning" tend to have our deficits ignored and expectations of us are kept at unsustainably high levels, often resulting in extreme anxiety and depression. Links So High-Functioning (sarcasm) by Lydia X. Z. Brown (@AutisticHoya) "One of the most common responses I get when I disclose that I'm Autistic is the curious look mixed with a bit of confusion as the other person says, "But you must be really high-functioning then, right?" or something remarkably similar. And I get this. I have "passing" privilege. Most times, most days, most places, I can "pass" pretty well for neurotypical, for non-disabled, for non-Autistic. (Except around other Autistics. They know. They always know.)" "Most people equate "autistic" with unintelligent, incapable of doing anything, relegated to special education, unable to complete post-secondary education, anti-social, incapable of choosing to have or not have sexual or romantic relationships, and eternally infantile. These ideas arise because of the ableism that is so pervasive in our society. I defy most of them, if not all of them. Most Autistics I know do. Intelligence has nothing to do with disability, including in those with intellectual disabilities; ability to "do things" is very heavily tied to the presence or absence of necessary supports, natural or unusual; sociability or lack thereof has nothing to do with being Autistic; sexual orientation, including asexuality, is natural to everyone regardless of disability; and all disabled children become disabled adults." "You don't really know what you're doing to me when you ask me if I'm just very high-functioning. You don't know what that does to entire communities of Autistics, all of whom suffer from these arbitrary, hurtful labels of low and high functioning, and none of whom they even come close to accurately describing. Because they only describe ideas that don't exist in reality, that don't exist outside laboratories without windows or thesis papers without people. They don't even describe precise or definite ideas. How can you take these words, then, and try to use them to describe real, breathing human beings? It reeks of ableism; it reeks of paternalism; it reeks of laziness and resorting to the language of convenience rather than searching for and using the language that affirms the value in being Autistic, empowers us despite our marginalization, and describes us respectfully and meaningfully. ... You don't know me. You don't know the life that I live day in and day out. You see me for a few minutes, maybe a few hours. Maybe a few hours on a regular basis. You know nothing about my life except what I tell you in little increments, heavily edited increments. The things I choose to let you know. The things that aren't as consequential as the things that actually affect me. You don't know me, and you can't call me "high-functioning." " "Not That Autistic" by Michael Scott Monje Jr.: "This essay is about the people who tell me that I must not be "that autistic" because I speak in public for a living, dress professionally, and manage to make it through the work day without flapping my hands and fidgeting. It's about the people who think that my ability to clamp down on every impulse, conscious and subconscious, that my body is screaming at me to indulge in, is somehow the same as not feeling those impulses. People who think that my ability to ignore ''my symptoms as a way of managing them is the same as my ''not experiencing symptoms. I'm well aware that my willpower and my training, some of which was quite painful to me, sets me apart from some autistics. I'm not trying to say that I have exactly the same challenges that someone who needs AAC or facilitated communication has. I also know that there is such a thing as being "visibly autistic"--having muscle weakness that leads to posture, gross motor control, and other issues that make your condition unmistakable under all circumstances. And I am aware that it is a ''privilege ''that I do not have to deal with these issues." |The Mighty://When You're 'Too Functional' to Have Your Mental Illness Taken Seriously> "I can be dying inside while going through the motions of the day. It’s not difficult for me to know how others expect me to act. Acting fine is a cognitive process. You can probably mention right now how an emotionally stable or “mentally sane” person is supposed to act. It really is simple. A generally accepted lifestyle is one where a person wakes up every day, looks presentable, takes care of stuff that needs to be taken care of, eats and goes to sleep. This can sometimes be done regardless of how you feel inside. To say it’s difficult is an understatement, but it’s not impossible." "If you struggle with not being taken seriously, my advice to you is to trust you know yourself so much more than anybody else. Nobody has the right to undermine your difficulties. If they do, it’s their issue. Keep looking for the person who listens to you and takes your feelings into account. Don’t feel demoralized or flawed. I know it’s a tough pill to swallow when you ask for help from a mental health worker who should be able to understand you but doesn’t. Again, this is a flaw in their own understanding of the human mind." Category:Autism Spectrum Category:Neurodiversity